Mari Am Reflects on Her Time with SHPE

Allstate attended the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers 2018 National Convention. Read Allstater Mari Am’s reflection of her time there and why Allstate participated.

“In 2017, Allstate participated in the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) National Convention for the first time. SHPE does a great job of empowering Latinos and Latinas to be innovators in the different engineering industries. I was lucky to have been nominated to attend and represent Allstate for the full convention. I was amazed at the great talent that the SHPE had at the convention. This was also my call to action, I was motivated to make sure that Allstate had a bigger presence in this convention in the next year. I noticed that I had a lot of information and knowledge to share at the next convention.

Fast forward a year, I was fortunate to present at the SHPE National Convention with my peer, Nery. We shared our knowledge on how to be successful in the first 100 days of a new job. Our goal was to help graduates, interns and professionals have information that will help them as they started a new job/internship. It was great to see how our stories could help others in their career growth. During the convention, we attended other workshops that were inspiring. It was very motivating to see other Latinos and Latinas succeed in their own industry and share their knowledge to graduates starting their journey.

The true aha moment for me was during the last day of the career fair. A freshman student, who attended our presentation, stopped by the Allstate booth. She let us know how much she enjoyed the presentation and how it really helped her have a better idea of what is to come. She was so excited and energized, it was contagious! For Nery and me, it was the validation that we needed. At the end of the day we can’t influence the 7,700+ people at the conference, but knowing that we impacted even one person, made all the hard work worth it.

During the convention, I felt very proud of Allstate for its innovation, technology and community outreach. Those were the main points that I talked about with the students and professionals that stopped by our booth. A lot of attendees asked, “How is Allstate a technology company?” I think I can speak for all of us in blue shirts at the booth, we felt proud and honored to talk about how we are using innovation and technology to help our customers when they need us the most; when it truly matters to be the good hands company.

Allstate’s participation at SHPE allowed me to share my experience and pay it forward to my community. There is no better feeling than helping others succeed.”

The Professional Latino Allstate Network (PLAN) Employee Resource Group (ERG) has been selected by LATINA Style as one of the Top 20 Employee Resource Groups of the Year for 2018

PLAN’s commitment to mentorship and member empowerment. Allstate’s culture of diversity and inclusion allows all individuals to bring their whole selves to work and to succeed in their personal and professional growth. Read what Candace, the PLAN President, says about the ERG and its importance at Allstate.

“As with many others, when I first began my career with Allstate, it was difficult to navigate the large corporate setting. I felt as if I was in my own little bubble and wasn’t sure how to build my community. I was invited to attend a Professional Latinos at Allstate Network (PLAN) meeting where I learned about how my voice could have weight in a conversation and comfort that I could have a seat at the table. During that meeting, I met likeminded individuals with similar backgrounds and as I networked, I felt more comfortable in my ‘Allstate skin’.

The more I networked with PLAN members, the more I felt I belonged and that Allstate was the company for me; that I could navigate the large corporate setting and find my own path in an organization as large as Allstate. I became more engaged in my work, my network and I wanted to do more. I joined the PLAN community service committee and worked with non-profit organizations to enhance Allstate’s brand and reputation in communities we serve and that became a turning point for my involvement and engagement with Allstate.

I’ve been part of the PLAN board as a leader since 2008. As a member of the board, I grew personally and professionally outside of my daily work activities, from leadership, strategy development and planning to emotional intelligence and diversity training and so much more. Now as the president of PLAN, I’m honored to lead such an amazing team of individuals from across the organization and country. We collectively push the envelope and strive to provide our members and friends with the tools and support they need, to themselves, engage with Allstate at new levels and capacities. PLAN is important to Allstate, not only to encourage employee engagement, development and retention but to also provide open forums and opportunities where our members & friends can learn and grow with likeminded individuals with similar experiences and diverse backgrounds so that they can bring their whole selves to work.”

Ready to join a company committed to helping you grow in an inclusive environment? Apply to one of our open roles today.

Allstate Remains Inspired by Grace Hopper Attendees

In September, Allstate returned to the Grace Hopper Celebration to join over 20,000 women in technology. A team of Allstaters hosted a booth with an interactive drone-technology game, shared Allstate opportunities, and heard from who are surely to become future industry leaders. Read what Dana, an Allstate attendee, said when reflecting about the conference:

“Throughout the 2018 Grace Hopper Celebration (GHC), it was clear that women are truly changing the future of technology. It was a week of tremendous learning from the diverse collective of workshop presenters, engaging conversations with future girl bosses at the Allstate booth, and captivating speeches from the impressive keynote speakers. I left more inspired than ever. There’s a true sense of pride that comes with being given the opportunity to share with others the amazing and innovative work being done at Allstate. It left me feeling motivated and excited to go back and continue achieving great things with my team in Charlotte, NC.

I have always been proud to be an Allstate employee but never more than during my time at GHC. Learning is a two-way street and more than anything, I am thankful I had the opportunity to share my awesome Allstate experience with others as well as soak in a great deal of wisdom and knowledge from women across the country.”

Didn’t have a chance to join us at Grace Hopper but interested in our tech opportunities? View our open roles here.

Representing Allstate at NBMBAA

In September, a team of Allstaters attended the National Black MBA Association 2018 National Conference. Here is what Sharon, one Allstater who participated in the conference, said about her experience:

“Being able to attend the NBMBAA conference and represent Allstate was a great reminder of how important it is to be present and connect with diverse communities of talent. The NBMBAA offered tremendous opportunities to celebrate the journey and the successes across the black community while becoming more aware of the challenges and setbacks the community has faced and still faces today. As someone who was both trying to attract and engage these talented MBA students to Allstate opportunities and trying to understand experiences of African Americans in the workplace, I found myself even more heightened and inspired to bring it back to the work my team and I are doing around recruiting at Allstate.

“It made me feel very proud to be there on behalf of Allstate!”

I walked away from the event feeling that no matter who you are or what job title you hold, you are positioned to make a difference in your own work culture by giving power to the voice that isn’t represented in the room. Whether it’s by actively seeking diverse talent to join your organization or to join you working teams, by listening to and embracing others’ perspectives, becoming more aware of privileges and how they can be used toward making a difference and ensuring we are bringing a deeper and richer perspective to the conversation. To me, that was pretty powerful!”

Allstate is proud to return to Grace Hopper and continue moving on Women in Tech Initiatives

Allstate is returning to the Grace Hopper Celebration, this year in Houston, TX. We caught up with some of this year’s attendees to chat about Grace Hopper and what it means to them! Check out what they had to say:

Prachi is a first-time attendee and is excited to mingle with rising technology leaders. “In order to grow a strong technology organization, you need diversity. Women bring different ideas and new vision and Grace Hopper is a great place for us to meet women in technology who will help drive us forward!

Shaggy is attending for the second time and is looking forward to sharing Allstate opportunities. “A lot of attendees are really open to new opportunities and Allstate has something for everyone! If someone chooses Allstate as their next move, they’ll find teams of passionate and innovative thinkers that are committed to our digital transformation. New employees will be excited to see the high-tech labs and upbeat environment that we’ve fostered.

Angelika was recruited to join our Technology Development Program during Grace Hopper just two years ago! She’s excited to be returning as an Allstate employee. “Allstate is truly a company that embodies diversity! Their tangible commitment to supporting and developing women in IT is the reason I joined the company.”

Chakita will be returning to Grace Hopper for the second year in a row. “We all know the low, disturbing numbers and research when it comes to women leading and being in tech. We are answering the call by addressing this issue head on by having strategic partnerships with organizations like AnitaB.org that produces GHC. This helps us to live into one of our core values of Inclusion and Diversity which represents our diverse company culture, agents and customers.”

Make sure to stop by our booth during the career expo to learn more about Allstate opportunities. Not attending, but interested in joining our tech team? Check out our open roles now.

Allstaters participated in attracting talent, professional development and purposeful networking. With nearly 100 attendees at the Allstate-sponsored workshop featuring Dr. Robert Rodriguez and Allstate leaders speaking on a panel, Allstate was connecting with participants at every turn.

Becky, a member of Allstate Leadership Development Program, attended on behalf of Allstate and had this to say about her experience:

“This year I had the honor of representing Allstate at the 2018 ALPFA National Convention. ALPFA has been an organization near and dear to my heart since my freshman year of college and it, ultimately, led me to Allstate. I am proud to work for a company that supports the mission of organizations like ALPFA.

At this year’s convention Allstaters got to network and learn from local and national leaders of the organization. This enabled us to better understand the direction of ALPFA and how Allstate plays a role in their story. We also had several opportunities to discuss diversity recruiting best practices with other leaders across other Fortune 100 companies. Allstate offered an intriguing workshop, led by Dr. Robert Rodriguez, around latinx executive leadership and his findings after interviewing 20 latinxs at the c-suite level. We also had the opportunity to meet and interview bright candidates during the career fair.

Allstate had a strong presence throughout the convention. We look forward to continuing to partner with ALPFA as we support the latinx community and bring top talent to Allstate.”

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and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, protected veteran or any other protected status.